The Cayman islands

Natural History, Nov, 2003

South of Cuba, the Caymans consist of a trio of islands: Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac, and Little Cayman. All are renowned for their spectacular coral reefs, sun-kissed beaches, waters teeming with fish flecked with gold, and a grand 500 years of culture, history, and beauty.

The best known island is Grand Cayman, a great place to start your adventure. George Town, the capital city, boasts some of the finest cuisine and shopping in the Caribbean, and you can also explore the islands' rich history here. In addition to world-class scuba diving, snorkeling, and sailing, plan a trip under the sea to feed the stingrays, an excursion to the Turtle Farm, or a journey into the past to revisit the first landing by Christopher Columbus. If you're interested in natural history, make sure to visit the sixty-five-acre Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park and the National Trust's Mastic Trail. This two-mile footpath through unspoiled woodlands guides you through Grand Cayman's largest area of untouched, old growth dry forest--among the last remaining examples of the Caribbean's dry, subtropical forest.

The "Sister Islands," Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, will relax you with their unique Caribbean lifestyle. Walk, hike, bike, take a leisurely drive, or just enjoy the blissful solitude. Just twelve miles long and two miles wide, Cayman Brac is famous for its superb diving and snorkeling. Its sloping, vertical walls as well as shallow sites burst with coral growth. The Brac also is home to over 200 bird species and is a stopping-off place for many birds on their way to warmer weather.

And just eight miles east of Cayman Brac lies Little Cayman. Still mostly undeveloped, Little Cayman has a population of less than 100 and is a nature lover's paradise. Explore its sandy beaches and coastline, lagoons, mangrove forests, salt ponds, and wetlands speckled with orchids. The birding here is outstanding. Among the must-visit stops is the Booby Pond Nature Reserve, with the largest red-footed booby colony in the Caribbean--more than 20,000 birds. There are nature sites with viewing platforms overlooking wild iguanas, egrets, West Indian whistling ducks, and many other birds.